Head In The Clouds: Vol. 16

We start the October round up with Jon Hopkins. There’s a new EP on the way, titled Asleep Versions. It’s not entirely new material, rather consisting of “decelerated, dreamlike re-imaginings” of four of the finest tracks from his 2013 release, Immunity. Form by Firelight is the first snippet we’ve heard and it’s exactly as described, representing the quieter, more meditative side of the album. Asleep Versions is set to be released on the 10th November. You can pre-order it here.

Next up is Sydney’s Mansionair. They garnered some attention earlier this year with Hold Me Down, earning support and praise from Annie Mac. Second Night is their latest single, and it continues in much the same vein as Hold Me Down. Comparisons can easily be made with Alt-J and CHRVCHES (who happen to run their label, Goodbye Records), among others. It should be interesting to hear how their sound develops as they continue to mature.

Next we come to Nate Connelly’s rework of Nils Frahm’s You. We featured Nate Connelly last year and we’ve talked about Nils Frahm on more occasions than we care to remember. The two combine to produce a soothing and contemplative piece that’s the perfect accompaniment for the ever shortening evenings.

Sylvan Esso’s self titled release in May this year was one of the most playful albums I’ve heard in along time. It’s the sound of two people having far too much fun. HSKT perfectly embodies the exuberant spirit of the entire album. If you’re quick about it, you can grab it for free!

Finally we come to Kiasmos, who have released their debut full length. A collaboration between Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen has seen them find common ground between modern electronic and classical music, making it sound great in the process. If you haven’t heard it yet, check out their previous EP, Thrown, for a taste of what to expect. It’s glorious.